Going from the Bank to the Beach

Might have seen the last pitch Mark Mulder ever throws. He felt something pop in his shoulder after just 16 pitches and three batters. After several shoulder surgeries, it may be the end of the road for him. No wonder guys grab as much money as they can when it's on the table. You're always one pitch, one carry, one rebound away from a potentially career-ending injury. Yes, pro salaries are outrageous, and I have little sympathy for most of them when things go bad.

I'm just saying if you and I were in the same shoes, we'd do the same thing and take the money that's offered to us because you just never know what's going to happen next.

As for me, I wore a Cardinals shirt and survived to write about it. Not even a nasty comment or a dirty look. Guess the Philly faithful has softened and is already planning parades down Broad Street for the Eagles and 76ers. They're not about to get riled at a Phillies game.

I was happy for J.A. Happ, by the way. Got to cover him in a few quality starts as an IronPig when he wasn't getting any support. I think he should get the chance to stick in Philly for awhile.

And, now it's on to Cedar Beach for the next four days and nights and the Stellar Basketball Invitational.

I've heard so many rumors about who's playing where this summer that the first thing I want to do is check out the rosters and see if any of this stuff I've been hearing is true.

I'm all for freedom of choice. All I'll say about the apparent transfers of so many kids is if there's a rule forbidding transferring for athletic reasons, enforce the rule. If you're going to allow transfers that are obviously for athletic reasons, then eliminate the rule and create a free-for-all. Then everyone can stop accusing schools and coaches of recruiting and crying about unlevel playing fields and so on.

We're at a point where there is so much movement going on between so many schools and in so many sports that it becomes almost unfair to stop some transfers and allow others when almost every transfer of a student-athlete is done at least in part for athletic reasons.

I just hope that when these transfers are made, they are made truly with the kid's best interests in mind and not some disgruntled parent's ego.